


retail

by florallyfaded



Category: All Time Low (Band), Waterparks (Band)
Genre: F/M, I hope, M/M, Mall AU, Retail AU, fun stories from working in the mall, lighthearted for the most part, probably gonna be funny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-01 05:53:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14513943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/florallyfaded/pseuds/florallyfaded
Summary: awsten knight is the manager of a journey's in a houston mall, where he works with his best friend, otto.geoff wigington is the manager of a gamestop in a houston mall.jack and alex are the gay couple who manage the hot topic next to journey's.rian and zack manage a zumiez next to hot topic.jalex, rian, zack and otto have a few tricks up their sleeves.(basically just an update when i feel like it story.)(lowercase intended.)





	1. Chapter 1

**_terms to know for this chapter:_ **

**_m.i.t. = manager in training_ **

**_conversion = the ratio of people who walk into a store vs how many people make purchases._ **

**_d.m. = district manager (kinda in charge. a store manager’s boss.)_ **

 

“so you can’t take the coupon?” awsten refrained from rolling his eyes at the question. 

 

“no, ma’am, it’s expired. the code won’t work.” 

 

“can’t you just, like, take it off in the system?”

 

“you want me to override my system, which i can lose my job for, so you can pay one hundred and forty five dollars instead of one hundred and fifty for a pair of dr martens?” he raised an eyebrow at her, hoping she would realize how foolish she sounded.

 

“well, yeah.” no such luck.

 

“i’m sorry ma’am, i can’t take your coupon, i’m not interested in losing my job.” awsten told her. “the most i can do is offer the coupon that would print with your receipt.”

 

“can i come back with my receipt and the coupon, then?” he wanted to slam his head in to the register. 

 

“no, the coupon isn’t good until three days after your purchase, since the coupon wasn’t valid when you bought the shoes, the price adjustment won’t work.”

 

“well, then what’s the point of printing me a coupon if i can’t use it?” finally, he gave up.

 

“ma’am, do you want the shoes or not?” she looked at him before finally sighing and nodding. he began to ring her up. 

 

“what’s your email?” he asked her.

 

“do i have to?”

 

“if you like coupons, i would.” he deadpanned. she immediately began reciting her long, complicated email that sounded like it was made in 2005. 

 

he rushed her out, not wanting to hear more complaints about coupons. otto looked at him with a smirk right after, chuckling at his misfortune.

 

“laugh all you want, i still had a hundred fifty dollar sale.” awsten bragged. otto then glared at him. “i’m gonna go put some of the shipment up, shout if you need me.” otto mockingly saluted the blue boy. he walked to the stockroom and started sorting through the sku numbers on the shoe boxes.

 

this was gonna be one long shift.

 

XxX

 

geoff let out a groan of frustration as he glanced at the clock for the seventh time in ten minutes. the holiday season had just wrapped up, and nobody was in the store. he looked to the sales associate, zakk.

 

“i’m gonna go grab food. you need anything?” geoff offered. 

 

“where you going?”

 

“chipotle, probably.”

 

“chips and guac.” zakk answered immediately. geoff chuckled and nodded, walking out of the store with his wallet in hand. 

 

he quickly peeked in to zumiez, waving at rian. 

 

“are you going for food?” rian called. geoff rolled his eyes. 

 

“what else would i be doing?” rian grabbed his wallet before calling to zack. 

 

“do you want anything?” he yelled across the store. zack shook his head, and rian came out to meet me. 

 

“how slow is it today for you?” geoff asked. rian rolled his eyes. 

 

“i don’t know why managers don’t have a day off today. there’s no one here.” geoff nodded in agreement. “how much time do you have?” rian asked.

 

“no one wants video games today. i have all the time in the world.” 

 

“cool. i need to buy shoes. come with?” geoff nodded. the two wandered across the way to the journeys. “hey otto!” rian called. geoff watched as the curly haired boy nodded. 

 

“what’s up?” he asked. he then turned. “hey man, i’m otto.” he stuck his hand out. geoff shook his hand.

 

“geoff. i manage the gamestop across the way.” otto smirked. 

 

“you get a discount?” otto asked. 

 

“you can use mine if i can use yours.” the blue eyed boy smirked. otto nodded.

 

“so, what brings you guys in?” 

 

“i need a pair of vans.” rian explained. “my nikes wore through.” 

 

“that’s cause nike sucks.” otto rolled his eyes. geoff chuckled a bit. “anyways, did you want high or low tops?”

 

“low, for sure.” otto nodded.

 

“you trying anything on?” he asked geoff. he shook his head. 

 

“saving up right now.” geoff explained. otto nodded.

 

“well, you can always use my discount.” otto offered, giving geoff a warm smile. 

 

“thanks, man.”

 

suddenly, a scream of “otto!” ripped through the back. geoff’s eyes widened in concern. otto rolled his eyes. 

 

“he’s a diva. i’ll be right back.” rian laughed while otto left.

 

“who?” geoff asked rian. 

 

“awsten,” he explained. “otto is an m.i.t., awsten is the actual manager.” geoff nodded. “he’s basically a fuckin pixie, the guy’s great. his hair’s blue and he’s super funny.”

 

suddenly, the two figures emerged from the stockroom. otto walked out first, followed by who geoff assumed was awsten. otto looked amused, while awsten was yelling. 

 

“i don’t know how it happened!” the blue boy yelled. “i hardly touched the box and it just, like, fell apart!”

 

“i’m sure.” otto said. awsten groaned. the blue haired boy suddenly noticed rian and geoff. 

 

“hey ri!” he exclaimed. “i don’t know who you are, but hi!” he said excitedly to geoff.

 

“i’m geoff,” the brunette introduced himself. “i manage gamestop.”

 

“oh!” awsten nodded, excitedly. “cool, we can all be retail buddies!” geoff nodded, but stayed quiet.

 

_ ‘now is not the time to be super gay, geoff. be normal. he’s cute. just chill.’ _

 

“so what happened back there?” rian asked, with a smirk. 

 

“dude, i don’t even  _ know! _ like, one second i was putting up shipment, and the next a shelf fucking broke!” rian chuckled a bit. “and knowing benji it’ll be months before it gets fixed and i don’t know what to do with these sixteen fucking shoeboxes that have nowhere to go but i can’t leave them on the ground because it’s a tripping hazard and we employ a bunch of fucking minors for some reason.” he groaned in frustration.

 

“who’s benji?” geoff asked. 

 

“he’s our d.m.” otto replied. 

 

“benji,” awsten started. “is simultaneously one of the best and worst people i’ve ever met.” otto sighed. “he’ll come in and buy everyone dinner and help us on the sales floor and give us fantastic advice and then just fuckin’ disappear for months at a time. see that light that’s out up there?” awsten pointed to the ceiling. i looked up and nodded.

 

“there’s a few…” geoff stated. 

 

“see what i mean?! i told him three months ago that the lights were out. he hasn’t come to change them yet.”

 

“awsten,  _ you’re  _ supposed to change them.” otto pointed out. 

 

“i am  _ not  _ getting on one of those death trap ladders.” awsten whined. “no way. that’s a death wish.” otto rolled his eyes. 

 

“quit whinin’.” otto groaned. 

 

“i could change them for you if you need.” geoff piped up. “i change the lights in our store all the time.” awsten’s face lit up.

 

“really?” geoff shrugged and nodded. “you’re the best!” he attacked geoff with a hug, making the taller boy blush. 

 

“it’s really not a problem. i can stop by tonight after we close if you want.” geoff offered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

 

“that works!” awsten exclaimed. “god, ri, why didn’t you introduce us sooner?” rian laughed.

 

“cause everyone likes him more than me.” 

 

“that’s not true.” geoff muttered. 

 

“i like you more than rian.” awsten smirked. rian rolled his eyes and geoff blushed again. 

 

“anyways,” rian started. “i need vans.”

 

XxX

 

_**hahaha this is gonna be so fun guys. i work at journey’s and have a lot of good stories that i’m gonna try and mix in. jalex is gonna come in to play eventually, i promise. fuck it dogs this is gonna be fun.** _


	2. twoooo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drug use (just pot) be safe!

**_terms to know:_ **

**_on the floor - being on the part of the store that’s visible (does that make sense???? just not the stockroom basically. if you’re on the floor, you’re most likely helping customers.)_ **

**_deposit - money you send every night to the company from the registers, has to get dropped off at a lockbox at the bank._ **

 

later that night, i closed the store doors right at nine. i cleaned as quickly as possible, to the amusement of zakk.

 

“you got a date or something?” zakk asked with a raised eyebrow. i rolled my eyes.

 

“no,” i explained, not taking my eyes off the task of organizing video games. “i told the manager of journey’s i’d help him with something.”

 

“that blue haired kid?” zakk asked. i nodded. “isn’t he kind of a brat?” i shrugged. 

 

“seems nice to me.” i replied. “only met him earlier today. rian introduced us on break.” zakk nodded. 

 

“i heard from the pacsun manager that he’s a dick.” i furrowed my eyebrows. 

 

“sienna?” i asked, unsure of her name. i’d never paid much mind to her.

 

“ciara.” zakk corrected. “nice try, though.” i laughed. my blue eyes wandered to the journey’s across the way. awsten was still in his store, currently sitting at the register counting a deposit. otto was on the floor, touching all the shoes in the store. 

 

“fuck it,” i muttered. i looked up at zakk. “i open tomorrow, don’t worry about garbage or sweeping, i’ll do it in the morning.” 

 

“alright,” the teenage boy said, grabbing his drawstring bag. “i’ll see you friday.”

 

“hey,” i called before he could leave. “i need you to be ready for friday. you’re the only part timer who can take returns, and there’s gonna be plenty.” 

 

“rejected christmas gifts,” zakk groaned. “my favorite.” i laughed, before waving bye to zakk. the younger boy shut the glass doors behind him before giving me a thumbs up. 

 

the second the door shut, i shot up and grabbed the deposit bag. i grabbed my go bag and put the deposit in it before grabbing the keys. i shrugged at the lack luster cleanliness of the storefront and locked the doors to the store. 

 

awsten caught sight of me walking across the hall and a smile graced his face. he ran around the counter and opened the door for me. 

 

“our savior!” he exclaimed with a laugh. i let out a chuckle and nodded.

 

“got the bulbs?” awsten nodded, pointing to the cardboard box on the counter. “ladder?”

 

“right here,” otto replied, grabbing an a-ladder from the front of the stockroom. i walked over and took it from otto.

 

“ooh, look at you, mr. muscles.” awsten teased, making me blush.

 

“shut up.” otto groaned. “you’re gonna freak him out.” 

 

“he works in a  _ mall,  _ otto! you think he isn’t used to weird?” otto sighed at awsten’s argument. awsten turned to me. “you like music?” i nodded. “how about sum 41?” 

 

“oh, fuck yeah.” awsten grinned at me and put the does this look infected? cd. i immediately began humming along to the first track, the hell song.

 

suddenly, awsten was singing at the top of his lungs, earning a laugh from me. the smile on the blue boy’s face was genuine. 

 

it made my heart beat a little faster. 

 

i propped the ladder under the lights and climbed up.

 

“don’t fall!” otto called. i rolled my eyes. 

 

,“hand me a lightbulb?” awsten nodded and handed me a lightbulb. i passed back the dead one and screwed the new one in with ease. “alright, try the switch.” otto flipped up the switch and the store brightened.

 

“you are truly a god.” awsten stated, mesmerized. i chuckled. “anyways, as repayment, i have three blunts. you wanna go for a drive with me and otto?”

 

“fuck yeah,” i said for the second time, smiling. of  _ course  _ they were stoners, what retail manager isn’t? awsten nodded and grabbed the deposit bag off the counter.

 

“otto, fucking hurry!’ he groaned.

 

“fuck off.” otto grumbled, walking to the stockroom. awsten sighed, and i leaned over to him.

 

“is there usually a stick lodged in his ass, or…?” 

 

“no, he just got in to an argument with his girly friend.” awsten whispered back. i nodded. 

 

otto reemerged from the stockroom with his jacket in hand and a drawstring bag. his long hair was now in a bun, and i was able to see how tired he was. i got it - retail was a lot more exhausting than people realized. since i’d lost my co-manager, i was pulling 80 hour weeks. i was working ten in the morning till nine-thirty at night every day of the week with the exception of sunday, which was a shorter work day for the mall workers. the job was mentally and physically draining. 

 

“you ready?” otto asked awsten. the blue boy nodded and they shut the lights off in the store. the three of us walked out together, and awsten gestured for otto and i to follow him. 

 

i expected the walk to the car to be a quiet and somewhat awkward one. surprisingly, however, we laughed for the most part. awsten was being his loud self, pointing to the displays in other stores. 

 

“yo, how the fuck does lush get to have that advertisement up,” he asked, gesturing to a risque advert featuring an almost naked model, “but our work dvd can’t say ‘hell’? that doesn’t make sense!”

 

“at least you guys get decent music on your dvds…” i muttered. “we’ve had the same dvd of video game theme songs for months.” awsten winced.

 

“that sounds awful.” otto stated. “we get good shit on our dvds, and we get a new one every month so it switches it up.”

 

“ _ aaaand  _ we can request songs to go on the dvd.” awsten added. 

 

“you guys aren’t hiring by any chance, are you?” i asked, jokingly. awsten and otto looked at each other.

 

“actually…” otto trailed off. 

 

“we’re hiring, yeah.” awsten smiled. i let out a nervous chuckle.

 

“i actually definitely couldn’t work at a shoe store.” i explained. “i’m awful with fashion. i just know video games and guitar. s’all i’m good at.” i muttered the last part under my breath.

 

“oh shit, you play guitar? me too!” awsten exclaimed. i smiled at the blue boy’s excitement. 

 

“yeah, a bit.” i replied. “nothing too fancy, just jamming to myself at home.”

 

“we should all jam sometime,” otto offered. “i drum, and awsten and i jam a lot.” i frowned. 

 

“i’d love to but there’s no shot of me having free time anytime soon.” i replied. “i don’t have a co-manager, i’m the only one who can open and close the store right now.” awsten and otto looked at him with dropped jaws.

 

“you’re doubling every day?!” awsten yelled. “bro, what the fuck?” i nodded, shoving my hands in to my pockets as we finally exited the mall. 

 

“it’s pretty awful, but it’s what i gotta do.” otto shook his head.

 

“this baby whines when he has to double once a week. i don’t know how you’re doing it everyday.” otto said, gesturing to awsten. the blue boy pouted and crossed his arms. 

 

“do you know how much a beautiful guy like me needs to sleep?” awsten asked. “cause its a fucking lot.” i chuckled, rolling my eyes. “don’t roll your eyes, we aren’t all beautiful with no sleep, like you.” a furious blush covered my cheeks. “awh, you’re cute when you blush.” i was grateful that we were passed the doors that led to the mall parking lot. the sun had gone down hours beforehand, so the darkness masked my rosy cheeks.

 

“whose car?” otto asked. aws raised his hand, and began walking towards a honda suv.

 

“appreciate my stylish car,” he smiled. “this is tabby.” i chuckled. “hey, i know she’s outdated but she works.”

 

“my passenger window doesn’t roll up.” i blurted out. awsten let out a loud laugh, echoing through the almost empty lot. he unlocked his car. 

 

“geoff gets shotgun today!” he yelled, as otto reached for the passenger door handle. the brunette slowly lifted his hands up in surrender, staring wide eyed at the blue haired boy. i walked to the passenger side and teasingly stuck my tongue out at otto. otto flipped me off, and with a laugh we all piled in to the car.

 

“can you put on my chem?” otto asked from the backseat, as awsten started the car.

 

“go fuck yourself, geoff gets to pick the music tonight.” 

 

“it’s okay, you can put on whatev-”

 

“no!” awsten cut geoff off. “what do you listen to? we always listen to my chem, i want a change of pace.” he handed geoff the aux chord that was plugged in to his stereo. “now put some good music on.”

 

i took some time going through his spotify, before deciding on moose blood.

 

“oh, fuck yeah.” awsten smiled, turning the volume knob up. “otto, grab the jar from under the seat.” the drummer reached beneath the driver’s seat and pulled out a small mason jar, complete with three blunts wrapped neatly and more bud in a baggie. he pulled a lighter out of his pocket and handed the jar to awsten, passing the lighter after. “thank god you finally got a lighter, those matches were getting annoying as fuck.” 

 

“leave me alone.” otto pouted. awsten rolled his eyes and pulled the top off of the jar, the smell of weed filling the car. he grabbed the three blunts and resealed the jar, lighting one and inhaling before passing otto and i our own.

 

“just, in the mall lot?” i asked, surprised. awsten shook his head. 

 

“nah, not tonight, we’re going for a drive. usually i’d stay in the lot but i feel like driving.” i nodded, and awsten pulled out of his spot, nodding his head along to the tune of honey by moose blood. “you can light it now, though, the road we’re going to isn’t very far.” i nodded and lit the blunt, relaxed by the smoke filling my lungs. i passed the lighter to otto before rolling down the window and allowing the warm summer houston air to fill the car. i inhaled again, ghosting the hit. 

 

“woah, how’d you do that?” awsten asked. i raised my eyebrow.

 

“how did i what?” 

 

“that thing! it looked cool when you inhaled, it like, went out and then back in!” i laughed.

 

“you mean ghosting?” i did it again, to make sure it was right. he nodded excitedly. “oh, i uh, i just hit it, and then like, kinda push it out, and then inhale it back in really quick, like this.” i demonstrated again. “wait, stop, don’t watch me, drive!” i reminded him. he quickly looked back at the road, a smile breaking out on his face, before he started laughing. he ashed his blunt out the window and looked back at me.

 

“see something you like?” he smirked. i blushed and looked ahead, leaning forward and turning the volume up higher. the relaxation of the weed hit and the music felt better than usual. 

 

the next half an hour was spent with a blue boy driving his mom van with a blunt screaming the lyrics to moose blood.

 

i’m not sure i’ve ever loved moose blood as much as i did in that moment. 


End file.
